Viral Hijack of Filamentous Surface Structures in Archaea and Bacteria

The bacterial and archaeal cell surface is decorated with filamentous surface structures that are used for different functions, such as motility, DNA exchange and biofilm formation. Viruses hijack these structures and use them to ride to the cell surface for successful entry. In this review, we describe currently known mechanisms for viral attachment, translocation, and entry via filamentous surface structures. We describe the different mechanisms used to exploit various surface structures bacterial and archaeal viruses. This overview highlights the importance of filamentous structures at the cell surface for entry of prokaryotic viruses.

Automated summary

The cell surface of bacteria and archaea is adorned with filamentous surface structures used for various functions, and viruses hijack these structures for successful entry. This review outlines the mechanisms for viral attachment, translocation, and entry through filamentous surface structures, highlighting the importance of these structures for the entry of prokaryotic viruses.